In the Past
by AkuRoku18
Summary: Syaoran, Sakura, and the others end up traveling to America during 1738 in the middle of a battle between settlers and natives. There's a feather there, but can Syaoran get to it in time before someone else uses it's power? R and R! First Tsubasa fic, so be nice
1. Chapter 1

**In the Past**

**Chapter One**

"Well… I'd say that landing ended in a failure…~" a blonde man chuckled. He winced when the Japanese he was lying on elbowed him in the ribs.

"Quiet, Fay. And get off while you're at it," Kurogane muttered angrily. "Hey, furball! What the hell happened?" He snorted in annoyance as Mokona jumped on his head, giggling uncontrollably.

"Kirgy's mad! Kirgy's mad!"

"Shut up!"

Fay blinked and looked at the two young people next to him. The boy pushed himself up and gasped when he was lying on the other young person; a girl. "A-ah…! Princess! Are you okay?"

"Mmh… Syaoran… you're heavy…!" she mumbled. The boy named Syaoran squeaked and leapt off of her. Syaoran offered the girl a hand and she took it, standing up.

"So… where do you think we are?" Fay asked, getting up as well and looking around. The party was in a heavily wooded forest, but Syaoran could see grassy hills outside of the woods. Smoke furled into the sky from a town hidden behind a hill.

"I'm not sure where we are, Fay, but I see smoke over there. Probably a town," Syaoran said. Kurogane pushed himself up and readjusted the sword at his side. Mokona's ears perked up and turned towards the interior of the forest.

"Mokona senses something! Something coming to us!" she said quickly.

Kurogane laid a hand on his sword and furrowed his brow. "I hear hoofbeats. Horses, I'd bet," he murmured.

"We should get out of the forest. Now!" Syaoran said urgently. He put a hand on the Princess's shoulder and said, "Let's go!"

"Okay, Syaoran!" She nodded. Fay chuckled and poked Kurogane.

"Kurgerburger! We're leaving~"

"Fine… wait, what?! Kurgerburger! The hell?!" Kurogane snarled, turning around to glare at the magician. But he, Syaoran, and Sakura were running towards the hills.

"Kirgy! They left you!" Mokona giggled. The black haired Japanese man grumbled and followed after the three. Five horsemen emerged from the trees, pursuing the party of world jumpers. They all had dark skin and black hair. Three of the men carried spears and the other two had hatchets.

Syaoran looked behind him as he was running. _Who are they…? What do they want with us?_ he wondered. He stopped running and gave a glare at the horsemen. "Why are you chasing us? We've done nothing to you!" he shouted.

"Syaoran! Come on!" Sakura called, turning around to run to the young man, but Fay held her back. The five horsemen stopped and held their weapons threateningly.

"Tell me why you're chasing us. Please! We haven't done anything," Syaoran repeated. "We mean no harm. I promise." He took the sword at his side and threw it to the ground in front of him. One of the men, presumably the leader, leapt off his horse and pointed his spear at Syaoran.

"You white men… leave our land now!" the man growled.

"White men…?"

"You and your men have defiled our land for long enough. Leave!"

Syaoran raised an eyebrow and asked, "We aren't part of the… white men. We're simply travelers. We don't want any trouble, and we'll be leaving."

"Be sure that you do. And stay away from that village. I wish nothing but ill will for those who live there," the man said, his dark eyes narrowed. He jumped on his horse and motioned for the other horsemen to head back into the woods. The five of them galloped into the trees, disappearing from sight. Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief.

"Syaoran! Are you alright?" Sakura asked, running up to the young man and grabbing his arm.

"Fine. But, I wonder… what have those people in the village done to those horsemen?"

"Perhaps it's something to investigate while we're here~" Fay said, walking up to the two young people. "Oh, I never asked, Mokona… but do you feel a feather around here?"

Mokona's ears perked up and she looked around. "Hmm…!" The little puffball's eyes opened wide and she said excitedly, "There is! There is! Mokona feels one of Sakura's feathers! It's that way!" She pointed to the town.

"Then that settles things~! We'll look for the feather and figure out this issue between those horsemen and that village~" Fay concluded, nodding. "What d'you think, Kirgykins?"

"Whatever you say. And stop giving me those crappy nicknames. It's annoying," Kurogane muttered. Mokona jumped up and down on the black haired male's head, laughing.

Syaoran nodded and said, "We might as well. What do you think, Princess?" He looked expectantly at Sakura. It was her decision, after all.

"I think we should help!"Sakura said. A small smile crossed her face. Syaoran smiled as well and picked up his sword.

"Then let's go, shall we~?" Fay asked, pointing to the town. He, Kurogane, Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona started their walk to the small town. There were only a couple buildings lined up on a single street. The group quietly walked down the street. People in their homes shut the window shutters quickly.

"Is it just me, or do the people here seem… afraid of us?" Syaoran asked to no one in particular. Sakura nodded and moved closer to Syaoran.

"It does seem like nobody here is too excited to see us. I wonder what's going on?" the blonde magician wondered aloud. His blue eyes darted from window to window, trying to catch the eye of someone.

"They probably hate strangers… kind of like those dark skinned people. They seemed to hate us as well," Kurogane said, looking about the windows as well.

One brave soul came out of a building. He had dark brown hair and green eyes. The man wore a white shirt and black slacks. He wielded a pistol, pointed it at Syaoran and said loudly, "I wouldn't take another step if I was you." He cocked the gun.

"Hold on a minute! We've done nothing wrong!" Syaoran protested, putting his hands in the air. Sakura pressed herself against Syaoran's back. Fay and Kuragone followed the young archeologists lead and put their hands up as well.

"Turn back now. We don't want outsiders here," the man growled. He fired a shot near Syaoran's feet, but the young man didn't flinch. The older male with the gun loaded another shot.

"Please. We're just looking for something. Then we'll leave. I swear it," said Syaoran. He blinked slowly and took a step forward, hands still raised. Sakura and the others looked with concern on as Syaoran approached the man with the gun.

"What… is it that you're looking for, stranger?" the man asked, not lowering the gun an inch. "Tell me or you die."

Syaoran glanced back at Fay and Kurogane. They both gave looks that said, 'Go ahead and tell him.' "We're looking for any magical source. Or unusual phenomena. Anything like that," Syaoran said.

"Unusual phenomena? The only 'unusual phenomena' around here is you. Now leave before I kill you."

"Wait! There's something else I need to ask."

"No! Leave now!" The man fired a shot. The bullet grazed Syaoran's shoulder, but he barely finched. Sakura yelped as if she'd been the one shot.

Kurogane growled and drew his sword. "I'm not taking any more of this crap. If they don't want us here, then let's leave this damn place already." He advanced towards the man.

"Stop, Kurogane. It's fine." Syaoran forced Kurogane's sword down with his hand. He looked at the man with the gun and said, "Sir, if you grant us just a few days to look for what we came for, we'll leave. Please." Syaoran's brown eyes were firm.

"Alder!" a voice called from a house. The man, Alder, whipped his head around to look at a woman in a white dress. She had light brown hair and brown eyes to match. "Why are you terrorizing these poor people?"

"They're strangers, Marianne! We cannot trust them!" Alder growled, reloading the gun and pointing it at Syaoran again. The woman called Marianne stormed out of the building and grabbed the pistol out of Alder's hand.

"They are in need of shelter if they are to find what they seek. Let them stay, Alder. I can tell they will cause us no harm," Marianne insisted, glancing at the group of travelers.

Alder looked at Marianne and back at the group. He sighed in defeat and grumbled, "Very well. They may stay. But if I see so much as a toe out of line…"

"I promise, we'll do no such thing, sir," Syaoran said. "Right?" He looked at the others. Fay and Mokona (who had jumped from Kurogane to Fay some time earlier) nodded, Kurogane snorted but said nothing, and Sakura nodded quickly, sticking close to Syaoran.

"Fine. Come. I'll show you in," Alder muttered, heading into the house the woman appeared from.

Marianne strode up to Syaoran and his group and said, "My apologies for my brother's actions. He's just tense." She laid a hand on the young archeologist's shoulder. "Oh, you're wounded," she murmured with concern.

"N-no, it's nothing." Syaoran winced. Sakura pressed up against the young man again, also concerned for his safety. "I really am alright."

"Then please, come inside. I'll be sure to keep Alder away from you travelers and help you, young one."


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Hello, everyone! :D**

**Syaoran: Hello. :)**

**Me: Oh, Syao~ You're so much happier than that stick in the mud Tintin~ ^^**

**Tintin: -from the sky- YOU SUUUCK! D:**

**Syaoran: The hell...? :O**

**Me: HUSH TINTIN. :O**

**Syaoran: Er... well. I guess I'll just do the disclaimer thing. AkuRoku18 doesn't own Tsubasa, nor is she making a profit. :)**

**Me: Oh, thank you, Syao syao! ^^**

**Syaoran: Now, go read~ ^^**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

It had been a day since Syaoran and his group came to the small town, which they had learned was called Fredrick Town. They also learned the settlers were in conflict with the natives of the land (called 'Indians' or 'redskins'* by the settlers) over control of the land. The group was in Marianne and Alder's house and Syaoran was fast asleep on the floor. Sakura and Mokona were lying on a small bed next to the snoozing archeologist. The princess gazed at him intently.

"Aw, look at how cute they are together, Kurgy~" Fay giggled. He and Kurogane were just outside in the hallway to 'guard' the two younger people.

"Shut up, blondie. You've been staring at them for hours," Kurogane grumbled. His back was pressed against the wall, glaring out the window.

"I know~ I'm just keeping an eye on them~" the blonde magician said with a sing song voice.

"Tch. Whatever."

"Shouldn't you get some sleep too, Kurgerburger?"

Kurogane's red eyes slid from the window to glare at Fay. "I don't need sleep," he growled.

"No sleep? You aren't a god, Kurgy." Fay blinked slowly and smiled. "It'll be dawn soon, so you should sleep!"

"Whatever. Don't need it," Kurogane snorted, gazing out the window again. He eyed the stars with little interest. "Why don't you sleep? I'll live if I don't, but you…"

"But I what~? Are you concerned about me, Kurgypoo~?" Fay asked, giggling.

"Tch?! Forget it then!" Kurogane snarled. He turned his back to Fay.

The black haired male's outburst caused Sakura to lift her gaze from Syaoran to the doorway. "Fay? Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Of course~" Fay chuckled, poking his head inside the room. His blue eyes danced around the room. "How's Mr. Archeologist?"

"Sleeping still. Nothing wakes him up!" Sakura laughed. She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress and knelt next to Syaoran. "I guess that's expected, though… he works so hard…"

"He sure does~" Fay crawled into the room on his hands and knees. His smiled widened and he asked, "And how are you holding up, Princess?"

"Me? O-oh, I'm fine, Fay!"

Fay giggled. "You slept well, right?"

"Of course! I am, Fay! I'm just worried about Syaoran…" Sakura's gaze lowered to the sleeping Syaoran. He was lying on his back, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. "He was injured…"

"I'm sure he's fine, Princess~ That boy is strong, you know~" Fay said, scooting up next to the young archeologist. He poked Syaoran's cheek, and he groaned quietly. "He really can sleep through anything though…"

Sakura giggled and smiled at Syaoran. Her smile faded as her eyes rested on Syaoran's bandaged shoulder. She laid her hand on his shoulder and he cringed in his sleep. "I wish I could do something to help him… he's always trying to help me, you, and Kurogane… and ends up getting hurt because of it."

"He's doing it for you, you know~ He's quite the romantic~!" the magician laughed. His statement caused Sakura to blush wildly. Kurogane even poked his head in the room to see what the laughter was all about. "Oh, hello again, Kurgerfu~"

"What's all the noise? And stop calling me those damn nicknames!" Kurogane snorted. He stood up and stormed down the hall.

"Ouw, Kirgy! Come back~!" Fay laughed, standing up and chasing after the fuming Japanese.

Syaoran was finally awakened by Kurogane and Fay's tiff. He pushed himself up and gazed around the room bleary eyed. "Uh…? What…?" He blinked slowly and turned to face Sakura, who was inches from his face. "W-waaah! Princess!" Syaoran scooted away from the princess, slamming his back against the wall.

"Oh! Syaoran!" Sakura said quickly, also startled. "A-are you okay?" She stood up and went to Syaoran to kneel next to him again.

"I'm fine! I-I was just… shocked… never mind. I'm sorry if I startled you, princess!"

"It's really okay, Syaoran," Sakura chuckled. Her small chuckle rose to a light laugh. Syaoran had to smile.

_It's good to see her happy~ It's been awhile since I've seen her laugh like this, _Syaoran thought. He was drawn out of his thoughts when Alder ran past the room in a hurry. "Hmm…? What's the rush…?" he wondered aloud, standing up and walking to the door.

"What is it Syaoran?" the princess asked. She had gotten up to stand next to the archeologist. Mokona (who had been sleeping the whole time; you thought Syaoran was bad!) sprang out of bed and landed on Syaoran's head.

"It's the feather! It's the feather!" Mokona said excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"The feather! Where?" Syaoran asked. He looked at the little fluff ball expectantly.

"It's that way! Follow Mokona!" Mokona jumped off of Syaoran's head and bounced down the hall. Syaoran ran after Mokona with Sakura close behind him. The three came out of the building and Mokona squeaked, "It's in that forest!"

"Back where the horsemen are? B-but, isn't that dangerous?" Sakura asked.

"Mokona thinks so… but it's there!"

Syaoran narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. Some shouts echoed from the forest, again distracting him from his thoughts. "I'll go find it. Stay here, princess," Syaoran said, glancing at Sakura.

"But, Syaoran! It's dangerous!" Sakura protested.

"Please. I'll be alright, princess. No need to worry." Syaoran smiled. He took Sakura's hands and said, "Stay here. You'll be safer here at Miss Marianne's house." As if on cue, Marianne came out of the house. "Miss Marianne!"

"Syaoran. I'll look after her. Please… find my brother. I'm worried for his safety," Marianne said, concern showing in her brown eyes. Syaoran nodded and ran towards the forest to find the feather and Marianne's brother.

* * *

Eventually, after some time running, Syaoran came to the realization that he left his sword in the house. He swore under his breath. "Damn… what a time to forget my sword…" He looked around vacantly, his eyes scanning the area. "Where's Alder… for that matter, where are Fay and Kurogane?" the archeologist wondered out loud. Although his hearing was superb, he could not hear one of the natives sneaking up to the right of him. Syaoran turned his head at the last minute to see a hatchet swing at his face. "Whoa!" he called out, leaning back quickly, the blade of the hatchet barely missing him.

"White man… leave our land!" the native growled. Syaoran narrowed his eyes.

_How did I not hear him?_ Syaoran thought. The native snarled and threw himself towards the brown haired young man, hatchet raised. Syaoran sidestepped the native and kicked him in the stomach. The dark skinned man gasped and keeled over. "I'm sorry… but I don't have time for you. I have to find my friends." Syaoran ran through the forest, trying to stay more alert. _I must assume that they are masters of their land and stealth… I've gotta be on my toes. _"Kurogane? Fay? Where are you two?" Syaoran called. "Mister Alder?"

"… who's that?" a voice shouted back. It was unmistakably Alder's voice.

"Mister Alder! Where are you?"

A shot was fired. A tree branch near Syaoran's left exploded into splinters. "Stay back, damn you!" Syaoran spotted a crumpled figure near another tree. It was Alder lying on his side, pointing the gun at Syaoran yet again.

"Mister Alder. Are you alright?"

"I said stay away. I do not need your help, brat," Alder hissed, pain showing in his voice. Syaoran noticed splotches of blood on Alder's shirt and on the ground around him.

"Sir… you're wounded. Let me help you!" Syaoran insisted, taking a tentative step forward. Another shot. The archeologist felt the bullet whiz past his ear. "Why won't you let me help you…?"

"I do not need it! Leave me be!"

Syaoran furrowed his brows and disregarded Alder's words. He knelt down and helped the man up on his feet. "Don't try and dissuade me, Mister Alder. I can't leave a man as wounded as you are in the forest," Syaoran said, walking slowly with Alder.

"Fool… if you save me… you'll end up dead," growled Alder. But he didn't try to resist Syaoran's steady pace.

"I don't care. Miss Marianne told me to find you and help you. So that's what I'll do!" the young archeologist said with determination. Even with Alder's weight on his shoulder, he kept up his quick pace.

"My sister… Marianne told you to find me, boy?"

"Yes, she did. She's worried about you, Mister Alder."

Alder looked at the ground and snorted in laughter. "Of course. That's my sister, alright," he chuckled. "Why would she send you?"

"Why would it matter?" Syaoran murmured. His eyes darted around, keeping an eye out for more natives. He heard twigs snap behind him so he whipped his head around. "Mister Alder. I think we're being followed."

"By those redskins? I'd think not. They're masters of craftiness, those damn Indians," Alder snorted. "I'd start running if I was you, boy. It could be a bear."

"A bear?"

"Yes. Leave me and run, boy. You'll never outrun the beast with me dragging you down," said Alder. He shoved himself away from Syaoran, clutching his side.

"Sir!"

"Stay the hell away from me and just run, fool."

Syaoran blinked and heard the snapping of branches again. "No, Alder. I'll stay by your side. Marianne would kill me if I left you behind, not some bear," he said, smiling slightly and assisting Alder again. He let the older man lean his weight on him again. Syaoran could feel exhaustion creeping into his muscles. If he was attacked, he wasn't sure if he could defend himself and Alder. The unknown beast following Syaoran and Alder crashed through the trees, roaring.

"Damn. It does sound like a bear… hurry, boy!" Alder urged. He picked up his pace to force Syaoran to walk faster.

"Right." Syaoran went from a walk to a brisk jog, making sure that Alder could keep up. The beast let out an ear splitting roar, causing Syaoran and Alder to turn around. The bear stood over six feet tall. Its eyes were blazing with rage and its silver tipped fur could have been bristling with electricity.

"By the gods! A silver bear! They never come this far into the forest…" Alder growled. "Go… go, boy! Run!" Syaoran shook his head and forced Alder to run alone. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Syaoran said nothing. He narrowed his eyes and surveyed the bear. It glared at the small human, roaring loudly.

"Boy! You'll be killed!"

"… the feather. I wonder if this bear has it," Syaoran muttered. He looked over the whole beast again, but couldn't see the glow of the feather. "Dammit… Alder. Please run. I've wasted precious time for us to escape. So go," Syaoran said blankly, backing away from the towering beast.

"Syaoran!" Alder shouted. He fumbled with his pistol, loading it again and taking aim at the silver bear. The towering bear took a swing at Syaoran, who rolled out of the way.

"Alder! Just run!" Syaoran yelled. "I'll be fine!" He jumped to avoid another swipe. He gave a shout and slammed his foot into the bear's muzzle. It roared in pain and brought a clawed paw across Syaoran's chest, sending him crashing into the ground. He stood shakily, coughing.

"Syaoran, you damn fool…!" Alder fired the gun. Blood spattered the ground and the bear howled in pain. Its right eye was nothing more than a bloody hole. "Syaoran! You're alive, aren't you?"

The young archeologist blinked slowly. A small line of blood trickled from his mouth. He clutched his side and said, "I… I'm alive… barely." He staggered to Alder's side. "W-we need to go…"

"That's what I tried to tell you, damn fool," Alder snorted. The bear roared again and glared at the two men. It lumbered toward them on all fours, ready to tear them apart.

* * *

*** Believe me, I'm no racist against Native Americans. As a matter of fact, two of my best friends are part Native American! :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: Heyo! :D**

**Syaoran: ... TT n TT**

**Fay: Hey~! ^^**

**Kurogane: Shut up. -_-**

**Me: Aww, you all are so cute~ w **

**Syao: ... but... you're so mean... TT n TT**

**Fay: You'll be okay, Syao-chan~ Aku-chan isn't that mean, right~? :D**

**Kuro: Eh. Whatever. Doesn't concern me. -_- -walks away-**

**Fay: Uwaaah! Kuro-pii! Wait for me! :O -runs off after Kurogane-**

**Syao: ... oh. They ditched me. Q n Q**

**Me: Ah, well. I'll do a little disclaimer~ I don't own Tsubasa and I'm not making a profit on this fic~ :D**

**Syao: ... Q n Q**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Well, Kuro-pii… I do believe we're lost," Fay said lightheartedly. Kurogane growled, drew his sword, and slammed the elegantly shaped metal into a nearby tree. The blonde magician jumped slightly.

"Dammit! This is all your fault, you damn magician!" Kurogane hissed, putting his sword back in his sheath. The tree toppled over in a thundering crash.

"Wha~aaat? My fault, Kurgypoo?"

The black haired Japanese male advanced towards Fay and said harshly, "You were the one that said 'Ohh, we have to go find the feather in place of Syaoran!' Like hell! That boy can handle himself. You and I both know how capable he is."

"Sure, Kuro-pii, I do know. But, in this strange and unpredictable world full of men who want us dead, I'd feel better if we took Syao-Syao's place. After all, he can't always be the hero~" Fay explained. He lightly punched Kurogane's shoulder and chuckled, "Plus, he deserves a break, right~?"

"Tch." Kurogane shrugged and started walking on without Fay.

"Wa~aaah! Kuro-man, wait for me!" Fay laughed, running after the taller male.

* * *

Alder dragged an unconscious Syaoran through the undergrowth of the forest. The bear had chased them until it collapsed from exhaustion. Alder assumed that it would recover soon and try to kill them again. Until then, he focused on getting Syaoran back to the town; he knew Marianne and the girl traveling with Syaoran would never forgive him. "Dammit… boy… get up. Get up," he growled. No response. Alder's green eyes burned with annoyance. He could understand that the young man was seriously injured, but now was not the time to be out cold.

Something rustled in the bushes. Alder pointed his gun at the bush and was shocked to see a little white puffball. "Uwaaaah! Don't point that thing at Mokona!" Mokona shouted agitatedly. She jumped on Alder's hand and smacked him lightly. "Guns are dangerous!"

"What the… hell? You're… that rabbit thing. What are you doing here alone?" Alder asked, lowering the gun.

"Mokona's not alone! Mokona brought Sakura and Marianne, too!" she said excitedly. Mokona pointed back at the rest of the brush and two heads poked out: Sakura and Marianne.

"Sister! What…?" Alder exclaimed with confusion. He blinked slowly as the two women made their way over to the men. Mokona jumped onto Syaoran's chest and poked his cheek.

"Heeeey… Syaoraaaaan?" Mokona asked, poking him more. He didn't move. "Waaaaah! Sakura, I think Syaoran's dead!" wailed the puffball. This earned a gasp from Sakura as she ran through the bushes to kneel next to Syaoran.

"He's not dead, rabbit-thing…" Alder muttered. Marianne ran up to her brother and immediately started fussing over him. "He's only unconscious… gah… Marianne! Watch what you're doing!" he hissed as his sister accidentally applied too much pressure to his wound.

"B-but still! He's hurt! What do we do?" Sakura fretted. She tried to pick him up to maybe drag him back to the town, but she stopped when she heard a sinister growl. "Eh…?"

"Damn… the bear's back already…" hissed Alder, making sure that his gun was loaded and that Marianne was safely behind him. Sure enough, the towering, one-eyed silver bear roared at the small group. "It just won't give up…"

The snarling and growling of the bear woke Syaoran slightly. He sat up slowly, cringing. "… nnh… where am I…?" he mumbled. His brown eyes drifted at first to Sakura and then to the bear. Suddenly, his injuries seemed insignificant as he stood up to face the looming beast once again. _I have to protect the Princess, no matter what the cost,_ he thought.

"S-Syaoran! You're okay?!" Sakura asked worriedly. She stood along with him, eyeing his wounds that still bled.

"I'm fine, Princess. I can still fight. Anything to protect you…" Syaoran whispered the last words as he charged. The bear roared again and swung a paw at the young man, but he leapt over the attack and slammed his foot in the bear's eye. It howled and staggered backward.

Alder and Marianne stared in disbelief at Syaoran. "How… how is he still able to fight like that? It's as if he's possessed by something…" Mokona giggled a little.

"He's not possessed by anything! Syaoran's just in lo~ve!" Mokona said with a bounce in her voice. Sakura blushed and the siblings looked interested. "He doesn't want anything to happen to Sakura since she's so important to him!"

Syaoran kicked the beast again and landed awkwardly behind the bear. He grabbed his side and grimaced. As powerful as he was and as determined as he was to protect Sakura, he still desperately wanted to pass out. To be free from the pain for even just a little while. But, then his mind snapped back to the Princess and his eyes burned with a new passion. He wasn't going to let her get hurt. The silver bear growled and lumbered towards the small group. "Hey… I thought we were fighting here…" Syaoran muttered coolly. He jumped on the bear's back and smashed his heel in its neck.

Alder took a careful aim at the silver creature. He didn't want to accidentally shoot Syaoran; after all, it was that brat that risked his own life to save somebody else. "Stop moving so much… dammit…!" grumbled Alder. The bear finally reared up, knocking Syaoran off and giving Alder a clear shot at the beast's throat. So he took it. There was a bang and a spurt of blood that streaked the ground. The bear shrieked in pain and collapsed on its side. It wasn't dead, but it sure wasn't getting back up. Syaoran wasn't sure if he was getting back up since his adrenaline finally died and exhaustion overwhelmed him. He finally fell to his knees.

"A-ah! Syaoran!" Sakura cried. She ran past the motionless yet growling bear and knelt next to the young archeologist. "Please, tell me you're okay, Syaoran…!"

* * *

Still wandering around aimlessly, Kurogane mumbled, "We should have brought the puffball."

"Hmm? Did you say something, Kur-pipi?" Fay asked.

"Yeah. We should have brought Mokona with us. Then maybe we wouldn't be lost in a damn forest," Kurogane said loudly and angrily. He put a hand on his sword threateningly.

"Whoa, there, Kurgy-chan."

"And maybe we wouldn't have to be going on some hunch you had on the direction of the feather."

Fay held up his hands in defense and giggled, "Oh, come off it, Kurgy~ Mokona did say that a feather was this way." His lighthearted expression changed to puzzlement when he said, "Although… Mokona also say that there was a feather near the town, too… could there be two?"

"… then what are we doing here? Why don't we go back to the town, pick up Mokona, and then go find the feathers?" Kurogane suggested, taking his hand off of his sword.

"Wheet-whoo~ You can really make a plan, eh, Kuro-pu~?" Fay laughed.

"Tch?! What?! What do you mean by that?!" fumed the angry Japanese man. "And stop saying that!"

"Saying what?"

"That… fake, whistle noise! It's annoying!"

The blonde magician laughed again and said, "I already told you; I can't whistle~" He put his hands behind his head nonchalantly and continued, "But, in all seriousness, Kurgy-poo, that does sound like a solid plan. After all, it would be more helpful to have Mokona with us to find the feather. Who knows, maybe we can meet up with Syaoran and Sakura, too~!"

"Alright. Back the way we came, I guess…" Kurogane muttered.

"Indeed. But… I don't know which way we came~" Fay said like it was nothing. Kurogane made a choking noise.

"What the hell?! Weren't you paying attention?!" Kurogane roared.

"Well… no~ But I take it you didn't either~"

"Urk…"

Fay laughed again. "I thought so~" He whirled on his heels and started walking in some direction, hoping to find the town again. "Let's go this way, Kurgerburger~"

"What makes you think that's the way back to the town?" Kurogane hissed.

"I actually don't know~ But, have you got a better way to go?"

"Hmph. I guess not." Kurogane followed Fay, not knowing if his way was the right way. But, at the moment, did he have much of a choice?

* * *

**Hepluh. XD I really wish I could have done more with this chapter, but nah. X'D I didn't feel like it. WELL. Anyway. I'll be sure to update again soon! :D**


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